The Équilibre chair, led by Université Laval, INRS and McGill University, recognizes the contributions of women and underrepresented groups in science and engineering.
Professor Marie-Eve Paquet, affiliated with the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval and researcher at the CERVO Research Centre, is the new co-holder of the Équilibre research chair. Led in partnership with Kulbir Kaur Ghuman, professor at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), and Claire Brown, professor at McGill University, this initiative aims to promote diversity among university research professionals.
In Canada, nearly 50% of doctorate holders occupy university positions. Many of them, particularly women and members of underrepresented groups, work as university research professionals within research teams, research administration, and scientific platforms. This group of professionals contributes greatly to research success, both experimentally and in student supervision, but their contributions are often hidden or underestimated.
To address this gap, the transdisciplinary Équilibre chair aims to place research professionals at the center of the ecosystem. It will create recognition frameworks to better understand career advancement obstacles, promote diverse career paths, offer training and mentoring, and disseminate professional trajectory models.
“A high-performing research ecosystem requires the inclusion of all involved individuals and the recruitment of diverse human resources. The Équilibre chair aims to promote and highlight everyone’s contribution to science and engineering research. It will help showcase stimulating academic pathways and attract young people from all backgrounds to these careers,” emphasizes Marie-Eve Paquet.
The chair has received funding of $1.9 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies. The holders will also receive financial support from their respective institutions as well as from external partners.